A fun day out
by Charlatan
Summary: A little drabble, where Hermione and Draco learn to get along.


**A fun day out.**

Draco Malfoy looked out of the car window, not really seeing noticing the long driveway they were travelling up. "Remind me what we are going here Granger." He drawled, looking at a sign with a large number 18 in a circle.

"I know as little as you do Malfoy. Dumbledore just told us we are looking for a girl and we will know her when we see her." She replied quite exasperated. The journey down had worn her nerves right down. "The 18 is the maximum speed I'm allowed to drive down here." She added noticing his look at the sign.

"18? Rather precise aren't they."

"Look Malfoy I know about as much as you do about this place." She said swinging her car down the left hand branch of the driveway following the notice for the car park.

Sometimes she found it very difficult remembering that Malfoy was on their side in the war. It had all happened last year, when they had returned to Hogwarts in September. When they had got on the Hogwarts Express rumours had started that Malfoy had been forsaken by his usual entourage of Slytherins. Sure enough when they had found the emptiest compartment on the train, Malfoy had been sitting in the corner looking rather scruffy, and insecure.

Ron had looked like Christmas had come early, seeing a defenceless Malfoy, but Harry had merely ignored him and Hermione had preferred to follow his lead. Waiting for things to be explained later, which sure enough they were, after the start of term feast Dumbledore had called them to his office.

Entering Dumbledore's office Harry, Ron and Hermione saw four figures already there; Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore and Malfoy. Dumbledore had started to talk whist Harry and Ron had looked on incredulously.

"Professor Snape has been looking out for Draco since he came to this school. When Draco's father tried to force him to take the Dark Mark this summer, Draco came to me for help. Since then Draco's father has disowned him." Dumbledore began to explain.

Malfoy looked furious at this explanation, whilst Ron was going bright red trying not to laugh. "I'm not sure why Professor it is necessary to tell the Dream-team my personal affairs." Malfoy hissed quietly, his face white with anger.

"It is necessary Draco." Snape told him, trying to calm the boy. "It is no longer safe for you in Slytherin, even I can not protect you there. Too many of your housemates will try and do you harm in order too prove their loyalty to the Dark Lord."

"Let them try." Malfoy had said darkly, and the whole room had caught a glimpse of the confidence that used to ooze from him, but this was different, this confidence was darker and seemed warranted.

"It is not yet time Draco." Snape had said. For the first time Hermione had seen something resembling fear in her potion masters face, and she had realised why a moment late when he had continued talking. "We have made a new addition to the Gryffindor tower, you will have a room accessible from their common room."

"What?" Malfoy had hissed, "I thought you were fighting Voldemort, not torturing me on his behalf." His quiet voice cutting though the silence in the office.

"Don't mention that name here." Snape had replied, apparently ignoring the rest of his comment.

"That name is going to be the least of your problem if I have to share a Common Room with that bunch of self righteous pricks." This comment had been followed by a sudden tirade from Ron and Harry, who seemingly been to shocked to speak up until this point.

"Mr Malfoy may I remind you that you are a guest in my house, and I trust that you will remember that." Professor McGonagall had cut Ron and Harry short.

"Of course." Malfoy had sneered. "If they treat me like a guest." He had finished smirking.

Hermione had been pulled out of her reminiscing by Draco, "Anyone there." The now familiar voice cut in.

"Sorry. I was a million miles away." Hermione replied.

"Well I would you prefer it if you were here if you are driving me somewhere." Draco looked round the now familiar interior of the car, as she swung of the drive way onto the grass parking the little VW next to a BMW.

"I'm touched." She retorted dryly.

"Don't be," He sneered, "I just don't want to die because of your inattentiveness."

"Look I drove us fine for three hundred miles." She told him putting the parking permit Dumbledore had given her on the dashboard.

"I still don't know why we had to drive all this way." Malfoy whined stepping out of the car into the sunshine.

"Because we had to come by car and this is the first place Dumbledore thought we could find the girl." She locked the car and walked over to Malfoy. "And do remember first names Draco."

"Yes Hermione." He said pointedly brushing some creases out of his shirt. Hermione led the way over to a low fence edging what appeared to be a very flat large field. There was two small pavilions halfway down one side, with a large bell in front of one of them.

"Doesn't appear to have started yet." Hermione observed.

"No shit." Draco drawled looking down at her, blond hair falling over his eyes.

"Want to go for a walk around?" Hermione asked.

"May as well." Draco replied, turning around just as two large lorries rattled past. "What?" He began.

"Do you know anything about Polo?" Hermione asked.

"No." Draco admitted.

"Well, I don't know much really. I've never seen a match, but I do know it is played on horses. That's what's in the lorries." Hermione explained. "Lets follow and watch." She suggested walking towards the fence with a sign on proclaiming. "Riders and Grooms only."

Sitting down on a patch of grass across from the enclosure, they watched a small car pull in after the lorries. "It looks like your car." Draco observed.

"No it's smaller, look it only has three doors." Hermione pointed out. But this observation fell on deaf ears, as Draco stared at the girl who jumped out, just as she stopped the motor hurrying over to the blue lorry.

"It's her." Draco breathed, as the girl walked over to a man who had just let down the ramp at the back of the lorry.

"You only say that because she is pretty." Hermione hissed, surprised at the hint of jealousy in her voice, as the man turned and greeted the girl with a hug and kiss on the cheek before he walked up the ramp untying the pony and leading it down and passing the rope to the girl who led the pony round and retying it to the side of the lorry, repeating this with seven other ponies.

"It's her." Draco pushed forcefully as they watched the ponies led out of both of the lorries. "And how many horses do they need?" He asked as they saw more and more ponies appear.

"I don't know." Hermione answered, as the girl walked over to the pony closest to them and began to check the bandages around the bottom of its legs, apparently satisfied, she stood up and checked the platted tail, and then she walked back up the ramp and reappeared arms full of leather.

"What on earth is that all for?" Draco asked, knowing he was well out his depth here, not knowing at all what was going on.

"It's the tack, like the saddle and bridle." Hermione answered, "but I have no idea why there is so much." She confessed as the girl moved the head collar round the horses neck and began to put on the bridle, followed by the saddle. Moving round she repeated this with all the other ponies at surprising speed. When she had finished she stood up and grinned at the man from before, speaking to him quickly she vaulted over the fence quickly and walked over to one of the pavilions.

"I think we should follow her." Draco announced, "It can't do any harm." He carried on in response to her groan .

Walking over to the pavilion Draco went to follow the girl, but was stopped by an old man sitting under the shade of an arbour covered with some climbing plant. "Members only." He informed him.

"Oh, sorry. I just wanted to speak to someone." Draco explained, obviously trying for the old Malfoy charm.

"Ahhhh, you must mean our Amy." He grinned.

"Amy?" Draco asked.

"Tall girl, wearing jeans and a pink shirt?" The man asked.

"That's the one." Draco agreed.

"Don't worry, she'll be out in a moment." The man told him.

"Thank you." Draco told the man walking over to where Hermione stood waiting for him. "She should be back soon apparently." He told her.

"Great." Hermione sneered sarcastically. "Here she comes now." She carried on nodding in the direction of the pavilion, where the girl was talking to the old man, who was pointing in their direction.

With a final laugh the girl turned away from the man and walked towards Draco and Hermione. "And what exactly are you going to say?" Hermione hissed under her breath as the girl approached.

"Shut up." Draco said under his breath. Walking towards the girl with a smile. It was the first real smile, Hermione had ever seen from him. It was quite a transformation, suddenly she saw why he had been a favourite of not only the Slytherin girls, but also most of the Ravenclaws as well.

"It's Amy, right?" Draco asked holding a hand out to the girl.

"That's right." She answered, smiling back at him shaking the offered had.

"I'm Draco, and this is Hermione." He told her, as the girl turned and also shook Hermione's hand.

"Nice to meet you." Amy answered. "So I hear you were looking for me." She told Draco turning back to him.

"Yes. Well, now I feel a bit foolish really." Draco said brushing his blond hair back from his eyes. "It's just well, this is my first time at a polo match, and you seem to know what is going on, so"

He was interrupted by the now familiar laugh of the girl. "You were wondering if I could tell you what was going on?" She asked.

"Well yes." Draco told her, "But I can see you are very busy."

"No not at all. The ponies are all ready for the first match so I am free until three o'clock when I am playing." She told him.

"You play?" Draco asked an eyebrow raised.

"Yes." Amy grinned. "I've been playing for three years now. Do you want to come and see the ponies?" She asked changing tack again.

"We'd love to." Draco followed her back to the enclosure with Hermione trailing at a distance.

Walking up to one of the ponies Amy scratched along the top of its shaved mane. "Where is its mane?" Hermione asked.

"When we clip them, we take off the mane as well. That way the stick wont get caught up. That's why we plat up the tails as well."

"Sticks?" Hermione asked. "Do you mean the mallets?"

"Mallets if you're American. Sticks if you're British." A mans voice came from behind him. Turning they saw the man from before, who slipped an arm around the girls waist in a half hug as a greeting.

"They're new to the game Matt." She smiled up at him.

"I'll let them off then." He pulled away from Amy, offering a hand to Draco, and then kissing Hermione on the cheek as Amy introduced Mathew Lawson to them. "Well I must be off. See you later honey." He grinned at Amy.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Draco asked confused.

"Good God no." Amy laughed. "He's a bit old for my taste."

"Sorry." Draco muttered embarrassed. "So what are all these reins for?" He asked trying to change the subject.

"Well we have double reins for safety mainly. The game is so fast and there is nothing between the ponies and spectators so the bottom one is kind of an emergency brake, it's a HPA regulation."

"HPA?" Hermione asked.

"Hurrlington Polo Association." She told her.

"One of the matches should be starting soon," Amy looked at her watch as Mathew came out of the back of the lorry wearing white jeans with brown boots and knee pads. Untying one of the ponies Amy led it over to him and held one of the stirrups when he easily mounted.

"fifty-two?" She asked.

"That's right." He grinned as she passed a stick to him and he walked off onto the field.

"Fifty-two?" Draco asked.

"The length of the stick." Amy laughed. "Come on over to the stands, you'll be able to get a good idea from this match."

Sitting down in the front row they watched the ponies begin to canter round, the riders turning them tightly and then a couple of people threw some balls onto the edge of the field. "Wow." Draco breathed as one of the riders hit one of the balls, about half the size of a bludger.

Amy laughed. "You wait until the match actually starts. When we play it is simple enough to understand, you have two teams of four, three if you play arena, but outdoors four on a team." She pointed at the eight riders warming up.

"The match is divided into chukkas, which is seven minutes, this match is four chukkas and after each goal the teams change ends." She carried on. "Look the match is about to start" she pointed at the horses lining up either side of the umpire.

The match started and Draco was shocked, he didn't know that muggles played sports like this. He had heard many muggleborns compare Quidditch to basketball, but watching two players gallop after the ball, one of the ponies stretch out and pull ahead from the other, the rider had one had pushed all the way up his horses neck urging it to go faster, pulling the pony up slightly he played a backhand shot back down the field, he thought this was much similar.

The rider had sitten up and wheeled the pony round in a tight circle chasing the match back down the field where two riders were forcing their ponies against each other with great vigour. "What are they doing?" Draco asked, not aware he was leaning forward.

"In polo most of the rules apply for the safety of the ponies." Amy began. "Because of the speed they play at you aren't allowed to cross over the line of the ball. The rider in the red shirt wants to get the ball, but Matt, in the white and blue, is on the line. The man in the red can't overtake him all he can do is try and force his pony over the line so he can hit a nearside shot back down the field." She explained.

Draco nodded, not taking his eyes of the match as the ponies came charging back down towards them. One of the ponies was forced over the low wooden railing round the field, as it came up to the fence separating the spectators from the match Draco suddenly realised how insignificant the picket fence was as protection.

Amy laughed as he leant back slightly even though there was still a good ten yard between him and the pony. "That's why we have the double reins, not worth the risk." She smiled, as the rider spun the pony from the position he had been forced into and cantered back onto the pitch galloping back down towards the goal, where the riders had stopped.

"Foul." She said in explanation as to why the match had stopped. "It looks like a free hit from the 60 yard line."

"What has the penalty been awarded for." Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure, I didn't see it." Amy admitted, "Oh, it looks like number 3 is questioning the decision, not a wise move." She grinned.

"Why not?" Draco asked, "If he can get the decision revoked?"

"He wont change his mind, the umpires don't really like being told what to do. At best he'll ignore him, at worst he'll change his mind and make the penalty more severe."

"Can they do that?" Hermione asked.

"Umpires decision is final." She nodded as one of the players tapped the ball forward to a line further down towards the goal. "Look, it was very unlikely they could've scored from the 60 yard line, now its much more likely." This had obviously infuriated the player in the red shirt, the other players were staying well back, even the man's team mates.

Finally the man calmed down and a penalty was taken from the 30 yard line, and the goal was easily taken by Matt as the bell went to signal the end of the first chukka. "So now they will change ponies." Amy explained as the riders made their way to the edge of the field. "Look I'll be back in a minute," She carried on standing up, "Will you be here when I get back?"

"Yes." Draco assured her as she walked round to where the players were changing their mounts.

"It's her." Draco said turning back to Hermione.

"How can you be sure?" Hermione asked.

"Can you not feel the magic around her?" He asked.

"Uggh." Hermione groaned frustrated. "You just fancy her, and we have wasted all afternoon barking up the wrong tree."

"You didn't notice, he necklace?" Draco grinned.

"No." Hermione said suddenly interested.

"It's a silver hand of glory." He told her. "No muggle would have something like that."

"I didn't see a necklace." Hermione told him.

"Ahh well." He began awkwardly, "It was inside here shirt."

"You were looking down her top. Sleaze." Hermione laughed. "I don't fancy her." She mocked.

"Shut up." Draco snarled, "She's coming back."

"Try and find out about the charm." Hermione whispered as Amy reappeared in front of them.

"Alright?" She asked, sitting back down between them.

"I was wondering, why are they changing ponies?" Draco asked.

"It is a rule that you have to change ponies between each chukka, no pony can play two chukka's in a row, because they get to tired." She told them as play resumed.

The match continued with both Hermione and Draco asking questions throughout the match, the questions beginning to dry up slightly towards the end as they began to get to grips with the game. When the match finally ended it appeared that Matt's team had won by two goals.

"I have to go and get ready for my match." Amy told them. "I am playing in half an hour. Do you want to come round to the lorry and grab some drinks?" She asked

"Yeah may as well" Hermione nodded. She was feeling much friendlier to the girl since Draco had told her about the charm, thinking this wasn't so much of a wild goose chase as it had once seemed.

They walked round to the lorries and Amy called her congratulations to Matt and his team who were sharing a bottle of champagne which had appeared from somewhere, with more of the alcohol over the ponies and rider than had been drunk.

"Want a drink?" One of the riders offered the bottle to Amy, she took a small mouthful from the bottle then grinned.

"I'm riding in a tick, better not go overboard." She told him passing the bottle back. "Are the beers still in the white lorry?" She asked.

"Yep." The man told her. "I'll go and get them out." He walked off as Amy went up the ramp into the other lorry.

"Help yourselves to drinks." She called down to Hermione and Draco, "The beers should be out in a mo'. I'm just going to get changed."

Amy reappeared quite quickly wearing the now familiar white jeans with long boots and knee pads. Her pink polo-shirt had also been replaced with a green and white shirt, and it was now easy to match her up with her team mates. Turning she looked at a piece of paper taped to the side of the horse box.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

"Just checking the ponies I'm on this match." She told him. "Look, this is the one I'm riding first." She walked over to a dappled grey horse, and checked the girth. Walking around the horse she ran her hands over the familiar tack. "I just like to check everything before the match, set's my mind at ease." She explained her actions.

"And then she removes all her jewellery." Matt said appearing. "Amy's pre-match ritual, it never changes" He grinned, as she poked her tongue out at him.

Amy unhooked the chain from round her neck and Hermione saw for the first time what Draco had meant about the charm. It wasn't a hand, it was unmistakably a hand of glory. The fingers were slightly elongated and curled round as if grasping something in pain. Through the thumb there was a thorn, where a real hand of glory would dig through the candle it held, infusing the candle with its magic, so it would give light only to the bearer. Yes there was no doubt this was the sign Dumbledore had spoken of. But why the sign would be that of thieves was a mystery in itself.

"Right I'll see you two after the match." Amy smiled as she turned to the pony.

"Good luck" Hermione told her, as Matt gave her a leg up and she rode of onto the field.

"Lets go." Draco turned to Hermione. "Thanks for the beers." He called over to the others who were already watching the riders begin their warm up.

"It is her." Hermione laughed with relief.

"Yea of little faith." Draco chastised her.

"Now we just have to work out how to tell her Merlin knows what, so she will come and meet Dumbledore." Hermione groaned.

"Can we not contact Dumbledore and find out where we go from here?" Draco asked.

"How do you suggest we do that, Floo?" She asked sarcastically. "Lets just go and watch the game. If worst comes to worst you can just ask her out on a date and get her to see Dumbledore then."

"Excuse me?" He spluttered, "Firstly I am not some gigolo you can use to manipulate girls with from a distance. And secondly," He carried on, "If she were to agree to go out with me I would do something other than take her to visit Dumbledore."

"Alright. Calm down." Hermione told him sitting back down, and looking at the line up, Amy standing out easily as the only girl, her long brown hair platted tightly to keep it out of her face.

The match started and they saw their first glimpse of Amy playing as she thundered up the pitch two lengths ahead of the pony behind her thwacking the ball down towards the goal, her pony stretching out going impossibly fast, but the pony behind was gaining on her.

The two ponies raced after the ball shoulder to shoulder, pushing against each other, Amy and the other rider pushing their shoulders against each other as well. At the last moment the other rider pulled back slightly and Amy's horse moved over suddenly at the loss of contact, forcing her to cut slightly in front of the other horse.

At this the game pulled up and the umpire called a penalty. Amy looked furious and was conversing quickly with her team mates. Draco caught the words "Forced me to cross his line." and "Bad play."

"What happened." Hermione leant towards Draco.

"I think, well, you know that rule about crossing the line of the ball?" He began.

"Yes, if someone is riding along the line the ball has just taken, you can't cut in front of them." She confirmed.

"Yes, well the man riding Amy off forced her to cross his line. He deliberately caused her to foul." Draco explained.

Hermione nodded and watched the man take a free shot down the field, it was to far to possible mean a goal, but it had given them a distinct advantage. They watched the match in silence for the remainder of that chukka, and the next one. As the half time bell rang the crowd stood up and walked onto the field for the tread-in.

"You know she would make a fantastic Beater?" Draco grinned at Hermione, as they negated the tread-in in favour of going to the bar to get some more drinks.

"Do you think of anything else?" Hermione asked frustrated, "I'm sure Dumbledore wants us to contact her for something more important than Quidditch."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. I hear he has a hefty bet on the outcome of this years league with McGonagall and Snape, apparently he will do anything to win." Draco smirked.

"How do you know that?" Hermione queried.

"Snape is desperate to win as well. He was rather vague about the terms of the bet, but I did get the impression he wanted nothing to do with the bet at all, and something about teaching seventh year sex education classes, usually its either taught by Dumbledore or McGonagall but this year they managed to get Snape in as well."

"You mean we are going to be taught by one of those three?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Yep, and Quidditch season finishes next week, so lessons starting soon." He replied with mock joy. "May I take it our esteemed Head-girl is going to be stocking up on skiving-snack-boxes?"

"May I take it our esteemed Head-boy already has his?" She asked with false concern.

"I got them as soon as I found out. I wasn't going to risk them selling out." Draco told her paying for two more beers.

Sitting back down they watched the rest of the match take place. When the match finished Hermione and Draco walked round to the now familiar horseboxes. "Hey." Matt called at them carrying two sets of tack into one of the lorries, the waved at him and saw Amy untacking a pony and quickly fastening a light rug over the pony.

"Well played." Draco told her. "Shame you lost."

She smirked up at him unrolling the bandages round the bottom of the ponies legs, "Win some, lose some. I just care that I played well." She shrugged putting the last of the tack in the lorry.

Picking up a small bag Amy led them through a small door way with the words "Players Only" above it, then through another saying "Ladies".

"I am not going in there." Draco declared vehemently.

"I'm the only Lady playing today." Amy told him rolling her eyes, "but if you are going to pay attention to these signs, you're not a player either." She pointed out.

Draco nodded conceding her point and following her and Hermione into the small changing room, and sitting on a bench running down the middle of the room. "So did you follow the match alright?" Amy asked turning round the corner, and they heard the sound of a shower in the background.

"Yes, I think so." Draco replied. "Did that player force you to foul him?"

"That's right. It doesn't matter." The voice called back.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, "Surely if he hadn't have done that you may have won the match?"

The shower turned off, and suddenly the voice was much clearer, "I don't mean to be rude to you two but if you noticed, then most other people watching the match would've noticed as well. People tend to remember things like that, and at the end of the day its bad- sportsmanship. We have lost a match, he has put his reputation on the line, and he will depend on that to get games." Amy explained appearing round the corner, pulling her wet hair into a french-braid.

Suddenly everything fell into place for Draco. Why this girl was taking her loss with such good-humour, there was nothing noble about her acceptance of defeat, instead, she took an almost vindictive pleasure in the knowledge that people would look down on this dirty tactic for winning. As a Slytherin Draco was accustomed to playing dirty to win, and he realised that Amy would play dirty to win, if she thought she could get away with it. As it was she knew she couldn't so she was just going to wallow in the reprisal the other player would inevitably face.

Amy chuckled as she saw the realisation dawn on Draco's face. Hermione still looked confused, but Draco now knew this friendly, smiling, giggling girl was just a front, for the hard and shrewd person underneath. Suddenly he felt a great respect for the girl, and he knew it was the Slytherin in him recognising her as someone of a similar breed to himself.

"Come on." She grabbed Draco and Hermione's hands, "The presentations for today are going on now." She ignored the questioning look from Hermione.

They walked back onto the field where every one was standing around a table with various trophies and bottles on. The presentations started and to Hermione, Draco, Matt, and evidently a lot of other peoples delight Amy had won player of the match.

When Amy went up to collect the small trophy and a bottle of champagne, she caught Draco's eye and winked in understanding. He realised this had proven her point and he wondered inwardly at this way of playing by the rules to get what you want, twisting them slightly to push yourself ahead, as they took Amy's photo for the clubs records of the day. People would be remembering her long after they remembered the winning team.

Finally the speeches had all wrapped up, and people began to make their way back to cars, or into the bar. Strolling back to the horseboxes where the last pony was being led up the ramp. Amy walked round accepting congratulations from her friends hugging and kissing them goodbye. She finally waved as the last horsebox pulled away.

"Well it was great to have met you." Amy grinned as she turned to Hermione hugging her and kissing her on both cheeks.

"Likewise." Hermione replied, feeling she was missing something with this girl that Draco had picked up on.

Draco cursed Hermione inwardly. She had managed to leave this all up to him, had she forgotten that they had to keep in contact with this girl so Dumbledore could meet her. "Do you have to go anywhere this evening?" He asked Amy, throwing on as much of the Malfoy charm as was possible.

"Well nowhere particular." Amy replied, proving that Malfoy wasn't the only one with ingrained charm.

"Well we have to get back to school at some point." Draco mused. "Where are you travelling to?" Draco asked.

"Well really I am on my way to Inverness." Amy told him, "I have to visit my grandfather near there."

"Well we have to go to Pitlochery." Draco told her, the small town was a good fifty miles from Hogwarts, but he didn't want to tell her anywhere to close.

"Well do you want to go to diner tonight with me, then we can travel up together." Draco asked his voice almost husky, his blond hair falling forward, his grey eyes held her green ones, and Hermione knew they had forgotten her in their plans.

"Sounds good." Amy grinned cheerfully breaking the eye contact, and Hermione caught the disappointed look that had crossed Draco's face. He looked slightly shocked that she had not fallen under his spell, and the smirk that crossed Amy's face told Hermione that she had broken the intense look then, just to let Draco know who was in control. Hermione laughed to herself it appeared Draco had finally met his match.

"I'm not going back to Pitlochery." Hermione told Draco, and she grinned as he looked at her sharply.

"What?" Draco asked surprised.

"I have to go to Canterbury. Then I am getting the train up." Hermione told him.

"Kings Cross direct?" He asked the question he really meant evident.

Hermione nodded, but Amy spoke, "Kings Cross doesn't go direct to Pitlochery, it only goes to Edinburgh and Aberdeen, I guess they're the closest places." she mused. "Well if you want a lift up I'd be glad of the company." She told Draco.

Hermione tried not to laugh at the expression of delight on Draco's face. "Well I'll see you two later." She told them hugging them both goodbye, she thought she was hugging Draco more for appearances, but thinking to herself she silently recognized that she had become good friends with him over the day.

Following Amy's car down the driveway Hermione turned in the opposite direction at the end and smiled to herself as Amy laughed at something Draco had said. She would be back at Hogwarts by midnight and depending on Amy's driving she should see Draco any time over the next two days.

Monday morning Hermione walked into breakfast to see Draco sitting at the Gryffindor table, but with, Hermione couldn't believe it. Walking closer it was Amy, she wondered slightly as to how Draco had pulled this off. Sitting down next to Amy she grinned at the girl who was laughing with Draco.

"Will you three go to Dumbledore's office after breakfast." Professor McGonagall asked on her way up to the teacher table.

"Three?" Draco looked around and saw Hermione, "Didn't see you there." He smiled.

"Never would've guessed." She said dryly. "I see you two are getting on well."

Amy laughed, "yes we had an interesting journey."

"I don't doubt that, seeing as it took you a good eight hours longer than expected." Hermione smirked

"Do you want a description of those eight hours?" Draco asked innocently.

"Not really." Hermione shook her head as they stood up to go to Dumbledore's office.

"Four times." A voice hissed in her ear.

"What?" She asked. She was answered with a wink from Amy and Draco laughed as Hermione realised what she had meant.

Walking down to Dumbledore's office Hermione wondered if everything was going to be reviled. Entering the office more questions were raised when Amy walked over and hugged Dumbledore.

"What?" Draco spluttered. "You know each other."

"Meet my Great Uncle Albus." She smiled at the joke, and now the family resemblance was evident.

"What?" Draco repeated.

"Well you know I have a brother, Aberforth." Dumbledore began, "Meet his Granddaughter."

"Yes, yes we got that." Draco interrupted. "You told us, you wanted us to find a new student."

Dumbledore laughed, "My dear boy, you really thought that I would use two students to contact someone pivotal in the war?"

"That's what you said." Draco said pointedly.

"Yes well I wanted to give you both a task where you would have to work together. I notice my Head students are getting on much better since then."

"So are you a witch?" Hermione asked Amy who was watching the scene with unhidden amusement.

"Yes, I finished from Beauxbatons last year." She told them

"But you play a muggle sport." Draco asked still confused.

"I am an adrenaline junky." She laughed, "Apart from Quidditch the wizarding sports are very limited."

"You don't like Quidditch?" Draco asked, and Hermione knew he was thinking as to what a good Beater she would make.

"Love Quidditch, but variety is the spice of life." She smirked.

"So are you staying around for a while?" Hermione asked for Draco's benefit.

"Yep, until the end of term more or less." Amy smiled. "We just wanted get you two working together properly now, when not much is depending on you both."

"So this was all a prank?" Draco asked the Headmaster.

"A prank?" Dumbledore questioned. "Think of it all as a fun day out." He said quietly.

"Ahhhh but the final joke is on you Sir." Draco laughed. Hermione tried to follow the conversation that was turning to quickly for her to keep up with.

"And why is that Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Because just before the end of breakfast I heard some rather interesting news." Draco said trying to keep a straight face.

"Yes?" Dumbledore pushed.

"Yes Professor. The Canons have finally won a match. You lost the bet." He started to laugh, and walked out of the office, as Dumbledore sunk into his chair head in his hands.

**A/N: Well then this was just a one shot I wrote to clear my head a little bit. I know it is a tad foolish, but it is my moment of silliness before I start what will be "Is time on her side-the in-between years" which will centre one Hermione and Snape, and whilst it wont be a HGSS pairing I want to write on the events that brought about Snape's defection from Voldemort.**

**Charlatan**

**xXx**


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